…By Henry George for TDPel Media.
Teenager Renell Charles, a student at Kelmscott School in Walthamstow, East London, was stabbed to death outside the school gates on Friday.
Renell, who participated in the Smile-ing Boys Project, a programme that uses creative arts to tackle the mental health needs of black boys, spoke in a video made last September, just months before his murder, about knife crime and its impact on innocent people.
The Smile-ing Boys Project, run by filmmaker Kay Rufai, addresses masculinity and negative stereotypes associated with rising violence, and has received funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Foundation for Future London.
Rufai posted a video on Instagram yesterday in which Renell says he had “learned to open up more” since taking part in the programme.
Rufai described Renell as a “shining light and a leader”.
Kay Rufai’s Smile-ing Boys Project addresses a crucial issue: the mental health needs of black boys.
The project is particularly relevant in light of rising knife crime, which disproportionately affects black boys.
Renell Charles’s death highlights the urgent need for more initiatives like the Smile-ing Boys Project that tackle the root causes of knife crime, including toxic masculinity and negative stereotypes associated with black boys.
Renell’s passionate and poignant words in the video he made with Rufai, in which he says that innocent people are being killed and that “young black boys just like me” are at risk, underscore the urgency of the situation.
Rufai’s programme offers a way for young black boys to learn about emotional intelligence and to gain confidence.
Renell’s participation in the programme is a testament to his resilience and determination, and underscores his potential as a leader.
The tragic news of Renell’s death highlights the devastating impact of knife crime on communities across the UK.
It is essential that policymakers and community leaders take decisive action to address the root causes of knife crime, including poverty, social exclusion, and the lack of opportunities for young people.
Initiatives like the Smile-ing Boys Project offer a way for young people to learn about the importance of emotional intelligence and to gain the confidence they need to succeed in life.
Renell’s death is a stark reminder of the urgent need for more initiatives like this.
It is essential that policymakers and community leaders take swift action to address the root causes of knife crime, and to offer young people hope for the future.
The tragedy of Renell’s death must serve as a wake-up call to all of us to do more to tackle this urgent problem.